Bond of Gold
by Pinkchick
Summary: Jean loses her wedding ring and doesn't know what to tell Scott. Will he still love her for better or worse? Or are things not as they appear to be. Rated PG13 for sexual suggestiveness. Please R&R! Jott!


**Disclaimer:** I don't hold any ownership over any of these characters. I am also not making any money off of this, so don't sue. They are purely used for reading enjoyment. They characters belong to Marvel and Stan Lee.

**Author's Note:** Hey all! Well, I finally got around to writing another story and just in time for Valentine's Day! I wanna dedicate this story to all those who have ever been in love and fought to stay that way! And I warn you that it's rated PG-13 for sexual suggestiveness!It took me while to get this story written and I think I'm pretty proud of it, if I do say so myself. This story takes place in the movie verse. I guess you could consider it after the Phoenix saga or in an alternate universe. Either way, it doesn't matter. Yes, it's definitely a Jean/Scott story… so if you're not a fan of the couple I will not tolerate any bashings or flames. Only constructive criticism is acceptable because I love reading feedback - I crave for it! The first and the last scenes may be confusing, so I'll clear up that it takes place back then. That's all I'll say. So, enough babbling from me. Please read this and also don't forget to review!** Read, Review, and ENJOY!**

**…………………………**

**Bond Of Gold**

**By: pinkchick**

**…………………………**

"If some guy were to give you a gift, what would you want it to be?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"It doesn't matter… just answer the question."

"I'd want it to be something special."

"Something special?"

"Yeah. Something long lasting and would never go away."

"Ooook. Well, I was thinking about something that you could see."

"It doesn't have to be seen. It just has to be felt."

"Yeah, ok. Hmm… well, what about a ring?"

"That's it? A ring?"

"Well, what else do you think I should get her? A ring is enough, isn't it?"

"Only for the male mind."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just get her a ring. It's not like I care."

"Fine." Silence. "Why isn't a ring enough?"

"It's not always about the material things. It's about putting your heart and soul into the ring." Silence. "Think about that."

………………………..

June had finally come and for the students at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, it couldn't have been at a better time. Finals were finally over and the students were free to do whatever they wished for the rest of the summer. Well, they were allowed to anything so long as it acquired with the rules of the school. No smoking, drinking, partying, sex, drugs… the usual rules that followed students to wherever school they happened to be in. It was the same now as the final school bell of the day rang and all the students filed out excitedly and in a hurry to start off their summer break. Their final exam was over and they were free. Some would leave to go and visit their parents, but the majority would stay at the mansion. They had nowhere else to go and it was their only home.

The sound of the students' voices filled the hallways as Jean Grey-Summers smiled. Another year was finally over. For that, she was thankful. It had been a long year and the stress of finals had also hit her and every other person in the mansion. Finally, she could be at peace. She rubbed at her temples, but put her hands back down and continued grading the exams. Her shoulder length red hair flowed downwards as she kept writing. Suddenly, something came into her view. Jean stopped writing and looked down at her left ring finger. Encircling her finger was a wedding band. Jean smiled at that - it was, after all one of the most precious things she had. She and her husband Scott had been married for almost a year now, but to her it felt like an eternity. They had been together for a long time before they had finally gotten married; which also proved to be a joyous occasion for not just them but the rest of the school. It had been long awaited but it finally had happened.

Jean stood up and looked at the clock on the wall. She put her things away and straightened up. It was her turn to get dinner started tonight. She thought that that was the only downside to living in a mansion with so many people. There were always things that needed to be done and little to no privacy. One of the students was always out and about, leaving no time to ever be alone with Scott. That's why the bedroom they shared was sacred. It was the only real place where they could attain complete privacy. Jean snapped out of her thoughts and walked to the doorway only to be met with Scott leaning against the doorframe. Jean backed away in surprise. She didn't think that he would be there. Then again, she was too wrapped in her thoughts to even bother to notice.

Jean smiled widely. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey yourself," Scott greeted back. "Exam over?"

"Oh yeah, thankfully," Jean stated, wiping her forehead. "You?"

"Done, finally." They just stared at each other for a few moments. Scott looked around and then grabbed Jean's hand and walked back inside the classroom.

"Scott, what're you doing?" Jean asked as he pulled her in and closed the door behind him. He put his finger to her lips to quiet her. Jean was confused, but the confusion swept away as soon as she and Scott's lips touched.

Jean closed her eyes as soon as he kissed her lips. She let herself go. It was always funny how Scott could make her feel things even when she had been with him for so long. She even felt regret to this day when she thought about the fact that she had actually thought she had been attracted to Logan, the ferocious Wolverine that they had all come to trust as a member of their team. There wasn't anything in the entire world that she would trade for Scott. He was everything. Jean leaned her head back as Scott's lips scoured her neck and then back up to her face. She cupped his face and looked at him for a moment. She traced the line of his ruby quartz glasses and truly wondered if she would be able to see his eyes one day.

Jean thought about it. It would be easier to read someone through his or her eyes but Scott and Jean didn't even need that. They had their bond. The only thing that they could rely on. No matter where they were or what they were doing, they could always feel each other. Professor Xavier, their mentor, couldn't even comprehend it completely and he was the greatest telepath. Jean knew that with Scott she didn't need to pretend to be someone else and he didn't need to either. With Jean, he could pull down the serious leader of the X-men persona and just be Scott Summers. That was what was great about the two of them together; their different personalities complimented each other. They made the music to each other's souls. Their psychic bond tingled in the back of their minds as the happy moods that they both seemed to be in swept them up and stole their souls away into a place where only they existed. Scott was the candlestick and Jean was his flame. That's how they fit together. Almost like two perfect puzzle pieces… their souls intertwined.

Their kisses deepened and Jean felt herself lose all viable control over her body as Scott picked her up and put her on the desk, spreading her legs a little so he'd be able to stand between them. He took off his jacket and threw it over towards a desk. They broke their kiss to look at each other. Jean traced her fingers over his strong jaw line, then over his mouth as he kissed her fingers delicately. She moved her face to the nape of his neck and kissed him there, then moved down to the exposed part of his chest. He started moving his hands, exploring her body like he'd done so many times before. First, he firmly rubbed his hands over her thighs and towards the inside of her skirt. A pleasurable gasp escaped Jean's lips. Scott smiled. His hands then moved to the insides of her blouse as he roamed up and down her stomach. Jean closed her eyes and let the sensations overtake her body. She leaned in closer to him and tangled her hands in his chestnut colored hair. Her hands ran down his chest as she began to unbutton his shirt. He reached the top and stroked the smooth skin of her upper breast with his hand as the other hand moved to unlatch her bra. Their kisses became hungrier, more yearning. Their tongues battled each other as they tried to find a comfortable position for the both of them on the hard wood of the tabletop.

Jean moved to unbuckle his pants, lifting her body upwards and pulling him down towards her. She stroked the full hardness of him both firmly but gently. He moaned in pleasure. Scott could feel his erection growing as he started to also unbutton her blouse. He took one of his hands and laid her down on the desk, lowering himself also as they struggled with their clothing without trying to break their kisses. It had been too long. The students' exams had taken up most of their time and they hadn't really gotten any chances to ever be alone, much less have a decent conversation. Jean had finally gotten the buckle to his pants loose and he was ready to take off her blouse when someone unexpectedly knocked on the door. They both jolted up towards the intruder, rushing to get themselves straightened before the intruder walked in to see them.

Kitty, of all people, walked in just then. She looked at the both of them and realized that she had walked in on something that she wasn't meant to see. She immediately whipped her head away and blushed. Jean started to fix her hair as she buttoned up her shirt quickly and sat up on the desk, flipping her hair back into place and looked at Kitty. Scott got up too and buckled up his pants and his shirt. He ran a shaky hand through his hair as he grabbed his jacket. Both Scott and Jean were quite embarrassed at having been caught red handed. Especially by one of their students. No one really wants to walk in on her teachers, who were practically like parents, about to have sex on the desktop table of a classroom. They both regained their bearings and their composure before looking back at Kitty.

"What is it, Kitty?" Jean asked, her face still red from embarrassment.

"Um…" Kitty was speechless for a moment. "Uh, I just came in to tell you that Jubilee accidentally blew out the sparks to the TV."

Scott rolled his eyes behind his glasses. He didn't know if he was mad about the TV or the fact that Kitty had just interrupted something very private. He loved the kids at the institute, but sometimes he was almost sure that they were going to drive him crazy. He put on his jacket and kissed Jean quickly. He gave an awkward smile towards Kitty before he passed her and left the room, muttering, "This is the third time this month that they've done this."

Kitty shyly turned back to her teacher and scratched her brown head. "I - I, um, sorry if I, uh, interrupted something, Dr. Summers."

Jean smiled at her. "Forget about it, Kitty. You don't have to apologize."

"Um, ok," Kitty said. She smiled at her teacher awkwardly, still quite embarrassed that she even walked in on something like that. "I'll see you later, then." With that, Kitty walked out of the room without even looking Jean in the eyes.

Jean drew out a long breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding. She fixed herself up before heading for the door this time. That had been pretty close. Luckily, Kitty hadn't seen anything too drastic. Jean silently hoped that she wouldn't tell anyone. After all, the entire student body would sleep better at night if they didn't know about what their teachers do in private. It wasn't as though anyone didn't actually know about it but it wasn't the topic of discussion. It was something private that usually remained private. Jean suddenly remembered that she had to make dinner tonight. She closed the door behind her and headed towards the kitchen, passing the living room and hearing Scott give the kids another lecture about household appliances and how they should be careful with them. Jean laughed as she finally reached the kitchen and prepared herself for another night with her overly huge 'family'.

……………………..

Dinner had been pleasant. Over all, at least. Although the entire time both Jean and Scott could feel Kitty's eyes secretly boring into them. They knew she hadn't told. It would prove to be both embarrassing the two teachers and to Kitty herself for even walking in on them. Maybe, she would forget. Or, the least she could do is act like nothing had happened. Scott had had to turn away and Jean had blushed, which had caused the students to snicker and wonder about their teachers' behaviors. Jean sighed at the memory of that and hoped that it wouldn't happen again. Being the center of attention at the dinner table wasn't exactly her idea of fun. And she knew that it definitely wasn't for Scott. He was supposed to harbor a kind public persona of how the students saw him. Most times, it seemed to work. He was the fearless leader and their teacher… that was all that the students saw. Jean and Professor Xavier, however, knew otherwise. Inside was someone completely different. That's why Jean loved him so much, because he let her see that person.

Although Scott was different, Jean also projected something else. Only with Scott did she truly feel comfortable enough to let herself go and lose control… the control they both desperately tried to keep. Jean smiled at that prospect. She had just finished cleaning up the dinner table and went into the usual habit of putting them in the dishwasher. She realized just then that her wedding band had been slipping from her wet fingers the entire time that she had been washing. Jean took it off momentarily and placed it next to the sink. She finished placing all the dishes in the dishwasher, closed it up, and turned it on. Jean washed out the sink with the spray when Logan suddenly walked in and startled her. The spray went in the opposite direction and her wedding ring plunged into the sink and down the open drain. Before Jean could even get to it… it was gone.

"No," she whispered, her light brown eyes completely wide in shock. She immediately plunged her hand in after the ring, but what she received was nothing. How could this have happened? How was she going to get the ring back? But, most importantly: how was she going to tell Scott? Logan walked up to her and noticed Jean looking at her hand with her mouth open as if she had just done something horrifying. He also noticed the way her curved body was arched upwards but still tilted over the kitchen sink. What Logan didn't notice was the fast coming tears that were starting to brim her eyes. He walked closer to her, his eyebrows suddenly arching.

"Jean?" Logan called softly, or as soft as his deep, gruff voice would allow. He curiosity got the best of him and he finally reached her. "Are you ok?"

"Of course I'm ok, Logan," Jean replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Nothin', darlin'," Logan said. "You just, y'know, look a little tense next to that sink there."

"Well, it's nothing, Logan," Jean told him.

"You sure?" Logan asked. He cocked his head to the side and looked on in confusion. He was concerned now, to say the least. He had… had a thing for Jean once. He had flirted, liked her, and maybe even loved her. With that, Logan had no idea. His emotions and the way he acted towards people were beyond confusing sometimes. He was still working on conjuring up the memories that he had lost such a long time ago. Maybe Logan did still think that Jean was attractive. But, she loved and married another man. That man was certainly not him. And, for the first time, Logan was alright with that.

"I'm positive," Jean answered him; her voice sounding like it was going to crack. It also had a hint of annoyance to it, too. Logan could take a hint. He turned his back and headed for the door.

"I hope you're right," Logan called over his shoulder in a lower octave. He looked at her one last time and disappeared into the hallway of the large mansion.

Jean didn't even turn to watch him go. She was too busy with trying to get back her wedding ring. The shock that had followed was something expected. What she hadn't expected was to lose her wedding ring. This was all wrong. Everything. Everything about this was all wrong. She couldn't just walk up to Scott and tell him that she'd lost the most important ring that she'd ever wear. That wasn't normal. All she knew was that she had to get it out, no matter how long it took.

**…………………………**

Jean slunk back to her room at around midnight. Everyone had gone off to bed and she assumed that she was the only person who was still awake. She narrowed her eyes in the darkness and noticed the outline of Scott's sleeping figure on the bed. Jean sighed and frowned. She felt so guilty for telling him that she would be up soon when he had asked her, but she became very busy. She had tried everything she could think of to get her wedding band back, but it had been useless. Even her powers couldn't be of use unless she felt like destroying half the sink with her telekinesis. That would have not been something Professor Xavier would have liked. The ring had probably made its way down into other pipes by now anyway, she realized. Maybe, with luck, Scott wouldn't even notice. That thought alone made her feel even guiltier. She knew that she eventually had to tell her husband. Jean knew that deep down he would forgive her, but that still wouldn't erase the deep guilt that she felt for even losing it to begin with. She should've never taken it off to. But, then if she had kept it on, it would have slipped off anyway. There was just no correct solution to the scenario.

Jean threw her things onto the hanger and tip toed quietly to the bathroom. Slowly and quietly, she changed into her nightgown. When she was done, Jean looked up at herself in the mirror. That was when she realized that as long as this guilty feeling hung over her, she would never be able to look at her own reflection. Jean bit her lip and looked down, clinging to the sink sharply until her knuckles lost their normal color and turned white. She exited the bathroom and walked quietly over to the bed she shared with her husband. She slid under the covers and turned to her side so she faced Scott. The moonlight came down and shown on his half hidden face. Jean brushed away the tousles of the brown hair that covered his ruby quartz glasses. She didn't know how many times she wished she could just look at his face in its entirety without the glasses being in the way. Jean knew that it definitely wasn't the first time.

Jean snuggled in next to him. She caressed his arm and then took his left hand in hers. She looked down at the wedding band encircling his finger and immediately held back a sob that caught in her throat. She was on the verge of tears and she couldn't do anything about it. Slowly, she brought up Scott's hand to her lips and kissed his banded finger. "I'll get it back, Scott," Jean promised. She put her hand on his chest and wrapped his arm around her waist like he would always do. She breathed deeply. "Somehow." Jean quietly cried herself to sleep listening to Scott's rhythmic breathing.

…………………………

Two days later Jean found herself in the teacher's lounge, or what the teachers called the lounge. It was a medium sized room near the dining room, where the students usually ate their lunch. The lounge was a place where the adults usually had some quiet time to themselves without the obvious disturbance of the students. It was a little downtime usually used to catch up on conversation and other things. This particular day was no different in the least. Jean was seated at the table with her food in front of her. The room was empty, except for her fellow colleague and friend, Ororo Munroe. Scott was somewhere in the garage toying with a car and Logan was… well, no one really knew where Logan was. It had been an immensely long day. The students all bustled around and tried to figure out how they were going to spend their vacations. Some on camping trips, some nestling beside the pool to get that tan that they'd always wanted. One could never tell with them.

It was pretty much quiet. The professor had taken to eating in his office today. His excuse was that he was busy. The rest learned never to question anything that he ever told them. They had learned to trust him completely. Ororo was looking through a magazine as she ate her food silently. She peered over at her friend every once in awhile to make sure that she was ok. Jean was unusually quiet, even for her. Ororo was beginning to grow concerned. On a usual occasion, Jean liked to talk and she and Ororo would talk up a storm. But today, well, today was something completely different. Ororo didn't know what was going on but she realized that something was going on that had affected her friend. Ororo pushed the magazine she had been reading away from and leaned in. Her ebony skin glittered against the sun's light as she eyed Jean curiously. Her brown eyes searched Jean's, but she didn't look up.

Jean sat there looking at her food like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Ororo raised her eyebrows at her friend. She almost had to laugh because she was being that obvious. Ororo had known Jean since her first days at the mansion. Jean had always been smart, fun to be around, full of energy, and had one of the kindest hearts Ororo had ever known. Scott and Jean were almost like the siblings that Ororo never had. And when one looked to be in distress, then that's when the other would come in and try to help. That was exactly what Ororo was going to do. She looked at Jean from beneath her long white bangs and placed her ebony colored hand over Jean's much paler one.

"Jean?" Ororo asked gently. "What's wrong?"

Jean looked up, startled at the gesture and at the sound of her friend's voice. Jean dropped her fork and looked at Ororo, her expression betraying the words that were about to come from her mouth. Jean's eyes seemed to be so far away. It was as if she was speaking, but her thoughts were obviously elsewhere. "I'm fine, 'Ro. Just fine."

"Jean, you don't look fine," Ororo implied. "Tell me. What's bothering you?"

Jean looked away from her friend and placed both of her hands to the sides of her face. She didn't want to face Ororo's questioning look and her prodding questions. She didn't want her to feel sorry for her or to think that she was a bad wife for losing the ring to begin with. All these thoughts were running through her head at the same time. The truth was that Jean hadn't been able to sleep properly in the past two days. She couldn't focus, either. And, every time someone so much as thought the word 'ring' Jean would fumble with either her words, her body, or unfortunately, with what she happened to be carrying at that specific time. It unnerved her to no end and she couldn't help but think that it was some kind of bad omen and something worse was going to happen. As if losing her ring hadn't been enough. Finally, she found her voice and looked at Ororo, though she tried desperately to avoid any eye contact.

"Nothing, 'Ro," Jean answered her friend. "I'm perfectly fine. Why would you think that something was wrong?"

"Jean, I know you're lying. I can see it in your eyes," Ororo told her firmly. Why was Jean acting in such a manner? Ororo asked herself. Jean was usually so sure of everything around her and now she looked as if she had lost something and was too afraid to tell anyone about it. Ororo creased her eyebrows immediately when she heard Jean sniff.

"I'm such a bad person, Ororo," Jean said, trying to control her very sensitive emotions. She didn't know why she was getting so worked up over this and emotional. Wasn't it just a ring? Couldn't she just get another one? No, Jean sighed, she couldn't. That wasn't just any ring. It was her wedding band. Something that signified her love and devotion to her husband and also a symbol to show the world that she was in fact a married woman who took her love with her everywhere. That's what was troubling her the most. Her left ring finger felt so empty without the golden band that was usually wrapped around it. _She _felt so empty.

"Jean, you're not a bad person," Ororo assured her.

"Yes, yes I am," Jean replied, unconvinced, although she knew that Ororo was trying to help. "I lost my wedding ring. It fell down the drain when I was washing the dishes and I wasn't able to get it back." Her voice cracked as she showed her the ring less finger.

"Jean, that's awful," Ororo sympathized with her friend. "I'm so sorry." Ororo paused as she took Jean's hand and a sudden question came to her. "Does Scott know?"

Jean's eyes widened and she suppressed a sob. She shook her head very slowly. "I'm afraid to tell him. I don't know how he'll react."

"Jean, it's Scott. I'm almost sure that he won't be angry with you," Ororo said.

"Maybe, but it still won't do any good. He'll be crushed." Jean rubbed at her eyes almost furiously.

"Jean, you have to tell him," Ororo told her. "I'm sure he'll understand. He loves you."

Jean got up and picked up her untouched tray. "I hope you're right, 'Ro." She walked out of the room slowly muttering to herself, "I just hope he loves me enough to understand."

………………………….

"Jean, wake up," a soft voiced floated into Jean's weary ears. She didn't want to get up. It was so nice being in the dark and not being able to feel the anxiety that she had been feeling the last few days. She let out a soft moan. Just then, she felt the covers being pushed off of her cold skin. She lazily opened a half of one eye and saw Scott sitting next to her on the bed trying to get her out of bed. She growled at him softly for even waking her from her deep and calming slumber. Jean pulled the covers back over her body and snuggled in closer to her very soft pillow. She didn't like wallowing in her misery just yet. But, Scott was being very insistent this morning. Wait, she didn't even know if it was the morning yet… it was so damn dark.

"Jean, come on, honey." Scott nudged her and brushed the covers off of her again. Jean moaned again but didn't budge. "C'mon, sweetie. Wake up, I have something to show you."

Jean turned around lazily and faced him. She opened her eyes and then scrunched them shut waving him off sleepily. "Go way, Scott. It's too early in the morning."

"No, it's not, Jean," Scott said impatiently. "Come _on_! I have something I wanna show you."

"It is too," Jean replied sleepily again, sounding like a child that didn't want to be bothered on a Saturday morning. "It's only -" Jean turned to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand, "six oh five. Go back to sleep," she mumbled.

Scott was growing more impatient with his very stubborn wife. Although that he also had a stubborn nature… this was something far too important and he certainly didn't want to let her miss it. He had been planning it all week and Jean had absolutely no clue - which was why he was proud - about what was going on. It was usually hard to try and hide something from a telepath anyway. On her birthday, Jean always tried to read people's minds to see what they had gotten her. Nosying around was what Scott called it but Jean had just given him an innocent look and insisted that she was just probing for protection. Saying that anyone could have warped all of their minds. Scott had rolled his unseeable eyes and laughed at the way she could be a child and an adult all in one beautiful package.

Of course, Jean had stopped because she knew that Scott didn't like it when she went through his mind. It was his sanctuary and intruding was pushing it a little too far. She would only go into his mind when he gave her permission and Jean obliged to that. That was the whole mystery behind Scott Summers anyway. And that was what she loved about him. Behind the exterior were pages of a book that just needed to be turned slowly and carefully. But, what Scott loved about Jean was that she was the only one who could even try to break the lock on his book of secrets and find her way into his soul. She was the only one capable of turning the very delicate pages and was the only one who could write a new chapter. A chapter where they were the only people there - a new saga - a page turning story that would only end until death parted them. And even then… it would continue until their souls reunited again. She was the angel in his world and by far the most beautiful creature that he had ever lain eyes on.

This time the entire bed cover was thrown off of Jean and she curled up into herself and shivered. A warm hand made its way onto her shoulder and Jean wanted to desperately swat it away and return to her blissful sleep, but Scott was just never going to quit until he got her out of bed. Jean opened her eyes slowly and wondered why Scott had to be so damn persistent about things. She would have gotten up eventually. Scott's blurry figure suddenly came into Jean's view and he gave her a relieved grin. Jean gave him the best glare she could manage at that time of morning. His grin disappeared as he looked outside. It was still dark outside and the mansion was quiet with everyone still lingering in their sleep. Jean immediately wished that she could just ring a gong and they would all wake up and feel the misery of being up this early with her. She sat up and looked at Scott who suddenly turned back to her and grabbed her shoulder.

"C'mon, Jean," Scott urged, "we have to hurry."

"I'm up, aren't I?" Jean asked rhetorically. She got up and walked slowly to her closet and chose the first thing that came into the line of her clearing vision. Blue jeans and a red hoodie. She knew that people didn't usually see her in that many casual clothing, but prior to rumors, she did own them. She rolled her eyes suddenly at some of the students who always thought that she had to be dressed professionally. She put them on quickly as she kept peering at Scott out of the corner of her eyes and he was watching her and the early morning skyline for some odd reason.

"Come on," Scott said. Jean didn't have much time to figure it out in her still cloudy mind before she suddenly felt herself being pushed out of the door and towards the entrance to the mansion. Jean stared open mouthed at Scott as he half dragged her outside and across the grounds.

"Scott, what's wrong with you? Where're we going?" Jean asked, completely bewildered at his behavior. Scott never acted this way… but he was surely insistent on something if he was moving so rapidly. He didn't answer her but just kept walking across the grounds. Jean wanted to know where they were going desperately, but she couldn't really see through the morning darkness that huddled over the mansion estate like a protective barrier. The two kept on walking deeper into the dark abyss until Scott abruptly stopped and Jean ran into him from behind. He let go of her hand and turned to look at her, giving her a small smile. Jean became even more baffled and creased her eyebrows. "Scott, I… what's going on? Why'd you wake me up so early? I-"

Before she finished her sentence, however, she could feel Scott grabbing something and tying it around her eyes, restricting her vision. She put her hands over what she figured to be a handkerchief… but that didn't take away the fact that she thought that her husband had finally gone crazy and hit rock bottom. She couldn't see anything at all. All she could hear was Scott's rugged breathing and hear the early bird's chirping from a distance. "Scott, what's -" she started but Scott placed a finger to her lips and silenced her. Yep, Jean thought, he had definitely gone crazy. Scott never had any late night (or in this case early morning) excursions unless it was when he couldn't sleep; and of course, when they were younger and he would sneak into her room in the middle of the night… but, that was a completely different story. Jean was suddenly amused by that thought, but her thoughts snapped back to what was going on at the moment. She could've easily read his mind, but he would either be blocking her out and then there was that whole mind reading thing that he had never liked. Jean felt Scott's hands on her shoulders.

"Do you trust me?" Scott asked.

Jean's eyebrows creased as she answered, "Of course I do." She didn't even need to think about that answer. She trusted Scott with her life.

"Then take my hand," Scott ordered. Jean tilted her head to the side at the tone in his voice. It had softened, but she obliged and she took his hand. Jean let Scott lead her to God-knows-where because he obviously wasn't open to answering her questions at that moment. They were both silent as Jean contemplated where on earth he would be taking her. All that could be heard was their breathing and the soft thudding of their shoes. Scott stopped again and Jean heard a loud clunking sound. There was a small amount of light that was filling the inside of her eyelids as she heard another loud thunk and a movement that sounded a lot like water.

"Scott?" Jean asked uncertainly as she took a small step forward. Scott stopped her, however. "Scott Summers, are you gonna tell me what's going on and where we are?"

"Jean, it's ok," Scott assured her. "You'll see in a minute, just be patient."

But Jean didn't want to be patient. She just wanted to know what was going on and what Scott was truly up to. Why wouldn't he just tell her? It was just so random… there was no special occasion that would come to her mind. Jean's thoughts were abruptly cut off as she felt Scott grab her other hand and told her to take a step. She was uncertain at first but then remembered that Scott would never let anything happen to her. It would be perfectly safe. Jean took a step like she was told and felt the imbalance that was suddenly under her feet. She was about to panic when Scott's arms grabbed her carefully. Jean clung to him. "Scott?" Something beneath her feet was moving and she felt as though she would fall over.

"It's ok, Jean," Scott's voice assured her again. "It's ok. I'm here. Just trust me and sit down."

Jean slowly and carefully sat down. Her hands immediately brushed her hands over what was beneath her. It was wood. Just plain wood. The birds chirped around them and the light that shone through the kerchief increased. Jean took a whiff of the early morning air and suddenly felt refreshed. She hadn't been out here in so long that she had almost forgotten what nature smelled like. A cool June breeze brushed past her and Jean smiled. She couldn't see it but Scott was smiling. But, it would be even better to Jean if she could see nature too.

"Scott?" Jean asked again. "Are you gonna tell me where we are yet? You can't keep me wrapped in this kerchief forever, y'know." Jean smiled.

"I know," Scott answered. "Just a sec, I just need to… there we go."

Jean felt a jerk and then sudden movement. Realization suddenly dawned on her and she finally figured out where they were. Or at least what she was sitting in. A boat. She was sitting in a boat. Jean took the time to just sit there in the relaxing coolness of the morning. The morning breeze played with her hair and tickled her around the neck area. Jean laughed, delighted. She felt like a child as the wind wrapped its cool arms around her and engulfed her into a warm safety that she had missed about being out here. She could hear the boat on the water, flowing the steady calmness of the lake. After about five minutes, the boat stopped moving and just swayed slowly above the ripples of the water. Jean felt the weight of the boat suddenly shift as Scott moved to sit down next to her. He moved his arms around her eyes and lowered the kerchief.

"Open your eyes, Jean," Scott whispered into her ear from behind. Jean opened her eyes and staring directly at her was the most wonderful sight that she'd ever seen.

A brilliant array of yellow, orange, red, and purple rays outlined the horizon of the sky as the sunrise's lights stretched themselves across the mast of the sky, beckoning it to bring the world into another beautiful day. The different colors hovered over the clouds as the sun rose from behind them and the colors flowed out and covered the dawn in a burst of sunlight. It was a picturesque sight as the birds flew ahead and the mingling of the sound of fresh water added to the serenity of daybreak as the colors steadied themselves. The array of colors flowed over even more and they covered the lake as Jean bent down to see her red and orange reflection on the water's surface. It was completely indescribable and Jean was utterly speechless. Scott's hands were on her arms and his chin was just above her left shoulder as Jean turned around to face him.

Scott had a mischievous grin on his face as though he knew that what she was about to say to him. The only thing was that he was wrong. Jean didn't say anything. Instead, she leaned forward and flung her arms around him, embracing him in a long, sweet kiss. It was not what Scott was expecting at all. Not at all. When they broke away, Jean clung to him and russled his hair with her fingers. She closed her eyes as happy tears filled her eyes. "It's beautiful, Scott. Thank you."

Even though he couldn't see the sunset like she could with all its miraculous colors, he still could remember - however vague - what it looked like. To Jean, though, he knew it would be everything because he had sat there and heard her complain how no one ever respects any aspect of nature. He knew the sunrise was one of her favorite things to watch and they hadn't done so since… forever. Jean unwrapped herself from Scott, but she was still leaning into him. He held her closely. Jean looked around her and realized that they were on the lake near the dock on the edge of the Xavier estate. A memory came to her just then.

"Scott, do you know where we are?" Jean asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I do," Scott replied with a smile also thinking back on the memory that seemed to have happened ages ago. "This is where we first kissed." Jean nodded, a smiled playing on her face. It was hard to not smile. Nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing. "That's why I brought you here. Happy First Anniversary, Jean."

Jean froze. Anniversary? Jean cursed herself for even forgetting her and Scott's anniversary. How could she be so stupid? She had been so delved in her own thoughts about losing her wedding ring and telling it to Scott that she forgot about her anniversary. Then another thought occurred to her. The ring… she had forgotten to tell Scott about the ring. The perfect moment was just ruined. Her smile slowly faded from her face and she put her face in her hands and started to cry softly.

"Jean? What's wrong?" Scott asked with concern. "What is it?" Jean only seemed to cry harder. "You don't like it, do you?"

Jean looked up and into his face, her eyes rimmed with tears. "No, I love it, Scott. But, I feel so horrible… I forgot all about our anniversary. I was too busy trying to think of some way to tell you -" a strong sob cut off her sentence.

Scott enwrapped her into a hug. He stroked her hair softly and asked, "Tell me what, Jean?"

Jean's body was shaking in Scott's arms. He held her more tightly and firmly. "A-about m-my we-wedding r-ring. I-I l-lost it, S-Scott. I-I'm so s-sorry, I-" her sobs broke out even harder this time. Scott let her go and as he did so Jean immediately turned away from him, completely ashamed of herself for losing the ring and now ruining a moment. How could she face him from now on? It was over, she could feel it. But, she was completely wrong. Scott instead filled their link with his love and warmth and Jean had to look up at him. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she was now curious of his reaction.

Scott pulled something out of his side pocket and turned to Jean who just continued to stare. He opened the box and Jean widened her eyes at him. "You mean this ring?"

Jean nodded and wondered how he had found it when she thought that all was lost. He took it out of the box. It was the same gold shimmering band that she had placed on her finger on their wedding day… but somehow it looked a little different. Jean was speechless as Scott showed it to her.

"How did you find it?" Jean asked curiously.

"I didn't," Scott answered. Jean looked even more perplexed. So he thought that he should start explaining. "Jean, this is your real ring. I replaced it with a fake one for awhile."

"What?" Jean raised her eyebrows. "You mean the ring I lost wasn't the real one?"

"Nope," Scott replied. "I had to switch them so I could get you your real anniversary present. Look on the inside. I'm so sorry I made you think that you lost it."

Jean obliged and she looked to the inside of the golden band. Against the golden light of the morning sun, the ring glittered as happy tears filled Jean's eyes this time. Scott had had the inside of the ring engraved for her. It had only one word signifying everything that she felt. It read: _Forever, ♥ Scott._ Jean then put the ring back onto her left ring finger… where the emptiness she had felt for days finally left her. Scott was about to open his mouth to say something to her, but his mouth was intercepted with Jean's as she kissed him. The kiss went on for a few minutes before they both broke away from each other. There was a moment's silence before either of them spoke. They were just enjoying the morning calm.

"So, uh, you're not mad about y'know…?" Scott asked, afraid to hear the answer. He ran a nervous hand through his dark brown hair.

Jean looked up from eyeing her wedding ring. She could see his nervousness. The truth was that Jean wanted to be angry with Scott about making her think that she had lost her wedding band for good, but the fact that she was happy that it hadn't been her ring after all and the engraving made up the difference. "I thought that that kiss was your answer."

"Well I could use another one," Scott said, pointing to his cheek.

"And why is that, mister?" Jean questioned, rolling her eyes.

"Because I paid a hell of a lot of money to get that done." Scott immediately turned away from her, but Jean swatted him with the back of her hand.

Scott laughed at her, happy that she hadn't telekinetically abused him. He shuddered at the thought. He had definitely not wanted to be on Jean's bad side. He laughed and so did Jean. Their laughs echoed across the vastness of the lake and it's surroundings. The sun rose even higher in the bright golden dawn. Birds chirped around them and Jean suddenly thought of an idea to repay Scott. She felt absolutely guilty that she had even forgotten about their anniversary and even worse about not getting him anything.

"Close your eyes, Scott," Jean ordered. Scott looked at her and raised an eyebrow that was even visible over his dark shades.

"Why?" Scott questioned.

"What _is_ this, an interrogation?" Jean said in a fake irritation.

"No, but I'm gonna do it until you tell me why," Scott stated bluntly.

Now it was Jean's turn to raise her eyebrows. Sometimes, her husband could be very stubborn. But she knew just the thing. "Do you trust me, Scott?"

"Of course, how could you ask that?"

"Then close your eyes… for me," Jean said.

Scott sighed and did as he was told. He clenched his eyes shut tightly, more than they should be, but it was always for safety precautions for him. His eyes could be a very destructive lethal weapon if he so much as peered through them. He didn't know exactly what Jean wanted to do, but he trusted her enough to know that she knew the caution she had to take because Scott didn't always trust himself around her. He was always afraid that he was going to hurt her. An even worse fear hit him when Jean placed her hands on the sides of his glasses.

"Jean," Scott said, fear, caution, and question in his voice.

"Don't worry, Scott," Jean soothed. "Just keep your eyes closed."

As if he hadn't had them closed already, Scott clenched his eyes shut even more tightly. He suddenly felt the cool air of the morning whip around his eyes. He breathed in heavily as sweat beaded his forehead. What was Jean doing? Jean trailed her fingers over the softness of his eyelids. Scott held his breath. Why was she doing this? Why was she risking her own safety? Her lips touched the sensitiveness of his usually untouched eyelids and she kissed them softly. Jean traced her fingers across his entire face and then back up to his eyes, massaging them with her thumbs. She was exploring his face as if she had never seen him. Scott's breaths became more rapid and heavy. His fear was getting the best of him. Then, Jean spoke and Scott thought he had heard her wrong, but then he realized that it wasn't his ears playing tricks on him.

"Open your eyes, Scott," Jean said simply. Scott wondered how she could be so calm when the true words behind what she said were impossible.

"What?" Scott asked, his breath ragged.

"Open your eyes, Scott," Jean repeated.

"Jean, are you crazy!" Scott asked rhetorically, knowing full well that she knew what he meant. "I think we both know what would _happen_ - if - I - did." He was trying very hard to not think about what would happen if he did open his eyes. In fact, it was becoming difficult to keep them shut tightly. But, he knew that he had to; until Jean decided to stop being crazy and give him back his glasses.

"Scott, I'm not crazy!" Jean exclaimed. He was being stubborn again. Although, this time she obviously knew why. She knew what would happen if he opened his eyes right then; he would surely kill her and Jean knew that that's definitely not what Scott wanted. But, she knew what she was doing. "Just trust me, ok. Now do it."

"Jean…"

"Scott…"

Scott sighed. He knew that there was no point in arguing with her over this. She had that tone in her voice. The kind that was soft, but irritated at the same time. Scott took in a deep breath and exhaled harshly. He just hoped that he wouldn't regret this. Scott opened his eyes slowly, expecting to blast the first thing that came into his view. He was most definitely surprised when nothing happened. Everything was still bathed in the red hue that he had so gotten used to, but nothing was destroyed. And he was seeing all this without his glasses on. It was amazing. Scott released the breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding. He looked directly in front of him and Jean was smiling at him. She seemed to look clearer than he had seen her in years. She was his gold against the morning sunlight. The ray of everything, shining down on him. He smiled back.

"Jean, how did?"

"Telekinesis," Jean replied, knowing full well that he would ask that question. "I wanted to see your face, Scott. All of it. Without the glasses."

"Thank you."

Jean didn't say anything at first. She just smiled and brushed her hand through his hair gently. Scott kissed her hand. "Happy Anniversary."

Jean's hands trailed over his face again and Scott enjoyed looking at her without his usual confinements. That's how they stayed for awhile. Unmoving. Just gazing at each other. Jean was finally able to look Scott in the eyes and know that he was looking back at her with an expression of love that even she would never forget. The sun gleamed and the breeze shook the trees around them. The rays washed over them and then stopped on the lake as the clear water reflected their figures. They didn't even look. All they looked at was each other, trying to hold that gaze there. And they knew that it would always be implanted in their memories. Forever.

…………………………

They left the lake an hour later. Walking around the large grounds hand in hand. They had kicked their shoes off and acted like children that had never been out in nature before. They laughed and talked. It seemed so peaceful and calming. The sun had risen higher, but they were both sure that everyone in the mansion was still sleeping. Scott had put his glasses back on, but he seemed more happier than he had been. It had definitely been an interesting experience. Something they both would remember. They walked around the grounds for about twenty minutes before Scott started to slow down.

Jean slowed down too. She looked up at him. She didn't want to slow down. She just wanted to keep going and stay this way the entire day. But, Scott seemed to have other plans. He stopped suddenly and Jean looked around. There was nothing but trees.

"Scott?"

"Jean, I need to show you something," Scott told her. "But, I need you to close your eyes for me again."

"Again? Scott-" Jean didn't finish her sentence before she closed her eyes again. Starting to persuade him was pointless and she just wanted to get it over with. She just hoped that it wasn't another present. She had gotten more than she had deserved. It was all so unexpected that she didn't know what to say anymore.

Scott and Jean walked a bit further until Scott stopped again. He went around behind her. Jean tried to hear what was going on around her. But, it turned out to be soundless save for the sounds of nature around them. She could still hear the water from the distance. Where were they?

"Are you ready?" Jean nodded, knowing that Scott would see her. "Ok, open."

Jean opened her eyes and was once again speechless. Standing directly in her line of vision was the boathouse that was near the lake. It was the same boathouse that she and Scott had escaped to once together to try and get some personal space and some peace. Near it was the dock in which she knew Scott always came to think. She could see why - it was so peaceful. After she had finished surveying the boathouse she turned to look at her husband. Scott had this lopsided grin adorning his face in satisfaction with his surprises this morning. Jean looked at him, her eyes questioning him for some answers.

"This-" Scott pointed to the boathouse, "is our new house."

"Excuse me?" Jean wanted to make sure that she had heard him correctly.

"Well, I talked to the professor and he couldn't have agreed more," Scott explained. "I figured since no one ever really used this place - and we both know that we need a private place for us - that I could repair it and make it into a house. It took me about a month, but I finally got it done in time.

"I knew that we wouldn't want to be that far away from the mansion… and so this is in walking distance. Great scenery, and some much needed personal space away from everyone else." Scott turned to Jean just then. "So, what d'you think?"

"I-I love it!" Jean exclaimed happily. "It's perfect." Scott seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He was glad that she liked it, knowing full well that she had wanted their own place for awhile now. Just then Jean sauntered over to him seductively. She played with the buttons on his shirt and made her hands up and around his neck. They kissed.

"I love you," Scott said. "You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Jean replied. "I love you, too."

There was silence as they held each other's gaze for a moment. Then Jean broke the silence. "So, are there any other surprises this morning, Mr. Summers?"

Scott seemed to ponder the thought for a second and then looked at her. He lowered his voice as if afraid that someone would hear him. "Actually, Mrs. Summers, there's something that I've been meaning to finish," he replied huskily.

"Oh really, and what's that?" Jean asked curiously.

"Oh, you'll see," Scott replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. Without hesitation and with a shriek of surprise from Jean, Scott picked her up into his arms and walked towards the front door. He started kissing her as he struggled to get the door open. Jean laughed as they finally made their way through the door, closing it behind them to finish what they had started a couple of days ago; sealing their anniversary with the link of their souls.

**…………………………**

"A ring? I thought I told you it wasn't always about the material things."

"It isn't. Look on the inside."

"An engraving? It's beautiful… I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me that you like it."

"I love it!"

"I thought you would. You were the one who suggested it."

"But, I thought that you were giving it to someone else."

"Who else would there be but you?" Silence.

"So, this is for me. To keep?"

"Forever." Silence.

"What made you think to do this?"

"Well, someone special once told me that it's not about the material things; it's about putting your heart and soul into the ring."

…………………………


End file.
